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bpmnbusiness-process-management

Is it allowed to loop back from an error event? - BPMN

I am modeling a process for a company. This process involves sending a message to a client. Now, this client can either accept, decline, or make a different proposition as a response.

To catch this, I have modeled the process like so:

Loop on error

I'm not sure if this is the correct way of modeling. It seems the most understandable way, though, but since the modeling is part of my bachelor thesis, I have to get this right.

Thanks for your answers/thoughts in advance!

Edit:

Per Drux's feedback, I have changed the model like so:

Remodeled process

This model does away with the wrongful error event and makes it so that each outcome has its path. This should be more easy to understand.

Solution

  • Your model looks correct, from a BPM perspective it looks okay, which was your original question. From an "understanding what is going on" perspective it seems a bit off to me.

    First of all, reading this it seems like you would have a human activity "Confirms Appointment" immediately after sending the message to the client. Given that the client hasn't responded yet that feels wrong. Secondly you are using a error event for something I would not think of as an error - a user as you say can respond 3 ways, so throwing an error for an expected response feels wrong.

    Based on your description above I would model this by waiting at a Message Event right after you send the notice to the Client. This would be "Client Response" and this Intermediate Message Event would then go to a decision gateway that would go to the correct next step based on how the customer responded - "Confirm", "Decline", "Counter Propose". In this way while waiting for the client response there isn't an activity that should not be acted on for the "Aletha" swim lane.